Chapter 237: Dragon Roosting Plateau
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Andoine did not mention as to what trouble it was. He just looked at Lin Li sympathetically for a while before shaking his head and returning to his bedroom. It caused Lin Li’s feelings to be in a mess for the whole night. Lin Li went through his memories about the Eternal Furnace, starting from meeting Connoris till fusing with the Spiritual Brand. Lin Li’s memories were abnormally detailed, not daring to leave a single detail out as he was afraid that this little details might harm him.
Yet, after reminiscing back and forth, his head was about to burst and still he could not think what went wrong. He lay on the bed, tossing and turning all the way till the sky started to light up before he finally gave in to the exhaustion and fell asleep.
Who knew that in the early hours of the next morning, he got called by Andoine to go into the pharmaceutical lab before he could even open his eyes. He did not know what medicine this old man took to be so excited early in the morning. When Lin Li walked through the door, he immediately saw him busy recording; the crucible was boiling. Before he even got close, there was thick scent of the peacebloom’s sap permeating and there was a goblet full of sky-blue-colored liquid at the side. Lin Li took a sniff before he realized that this old man was actually concocting the Awakening Potion!
“How’s it, this bottle of Awakening Potion of mine isn’t too shabby, right?” Andoine raised his head amidst the white fog. He was so pleased with himself it simply could not be concealed.
“Yes, it’s not bad.” Lin Li nodded. His gaze shifted for a bit and landed on the bunch of glass shards at back of Andoine. “Of course, if you didn’t shatter so many goblets, it would be better.”
“…” Andoine’s complacent expression immediately froze. However, luckily the old man was thick-skinned enough. Other than letting out an embarrassed laughter, he did not feel any shame at all.
“Could it be that you called me over so early just to let me see this bottle of Awakening Potion?”
“Oh, yes…” After being reminded by Lin Li, Andoine then remembered the business on hand. “There’s a small favor I would like to ask of you.”
“What is it?”
“This morning, I realized that my Teleportation Portal broke. I am looking for someone to help me find out what’s wrong with it.”
“You really think too highly of me…” Lin Li pouted his lips and thought, Your Teleportation Portal really broke down at the right time. When I’m not here, nothing happens. When I’m here, it would have issues. Does it mean that other that I am always causing trouble, I am also cursed such that even your Teleportation Portal was jinxed?
“You see, I am also very old. Things like chores… are you that impolite to make me do it myself?”
“Forget it, forget it. I’ll just go. When do I leave?”
“The faster, the better.” Andoine brought Lin Li down to the basement while speaking.
A place like basement had never been well-liked by anyone. Usually, the basement of a Guild of Magic was meant for keeping all sorts of criminals. For example, in the Emerald Tower and Alanna’s Guild of Magic, the environment inside the basement was dark and moist. While walking inside, all sorts of painful groans could be heard.
However, Andoine’s basement opened up Lin Li’s eyes. It was dry and cool, unlike a prison. The two Illuminating Spells fixed at the top were radiating a gentle yet bright light, illuminating the whole room.
In the center of the basement, there was a large portal. The dark red structure could be described as something of extreme complexity. Even with Lin Li’s knowledge of magic, reading it proved to be somewhat difficult. Some of the magical materials used could only be said to be luxurious. There were large amounts of Air Spirit Crystals and Seven Degrees Adamantine as well as all sorts of colored magical gemstones. Lin Li roughly estimated that the price of just this portal would be millions of gold coins.
“The portal you’re looking at now was made by the Supreme Council personally. There is only a total of twenty-five such portals in the Felan Kingdom. The other twenty-four are controlled by all of the large Guild of Magics. As for the exit of the portal, it’s a secret only known by the Guild’s President. Oh, yes, my portal is a bit more special. Its exit is in a forest in the Dragon Roosting Plateau.”
“What has it got to do with me?”
“You’ll know in a bit…” Andoine’s laughter was somewhat mysterious.
“Tell me, Master, what are you asking me to do?”
“It’s simple. Later, when you’ve been teleported by this Teleportation Portal, find out what went wrong at the exit. I think that with your knowledge of magic, reading it should not be much of a problem, right?”
“Ok.” Lin Li nodded his head, and was about to stand on the Teleportation Portal.
“What are you rushing for…” Andoine pulled him back. “Do you know what I am talking about? The position of the exit is at the Dragon Roosting Plateau. You did not even prepare and you just hurriedly went over. Aren’t you afraid that you will run into trouble?”
“Can I not be anxious…” Lin Li pouted his lips and thought, Isn’t this bullsh*t. Who was the one that told me that breaking through to the Archmage realm so quickly isn’t normal? Who was the one that told me I could run into big trouble? Why don’t you try it yourself. Let’s see if you would be more anxious than me if you knew that breaking through to the Legendary Realm isn’t normal and that you would run into trouble…
“The Dragon Roosting Plateau isn’t simple. You’d better prepare yourself and bring along sufficient necessities. Don’t skimp on whatever scrolls or potions. I don’t wish to see my disciple die because of such a small matter.”
“I know, I know…” After being nagged at by Andoine, Lin Li remembered something. The scrolls or potions would not be needed after all—the Ring of Endless Storm had them all. There was something that required Andoine’s action, though. Lin Li searched around in the Ring of Endless Storm and took out the Dragon’s Eye that had been kept there for a while. “Oh, yes. Master, do you still remember this?”
“Yes.”
“How about doing me a small favor? I want to socket it into the magic staff, but, unfortunately, I never had the required materials on hand. Could you help me think of a way? I don’t have any requirements for the materials, just normal ones would do. It would best if it had better magical conductivity…”
“No problem.” This time, Andoine was very agreeable. “Leave the gem here first. When I’m back, I will definitely make you a good magic staff.”
“Ok. Then I’ll take my leave first.” After Lin Li finished speaking, he did not continue to listen to Andoine’s nagging. He just stepped on the Teleportation Portal and released a trace of mana, which instantly activated the magical crystals on the Teleportation Portal.
Instantly, there was an incomparable strength pulling him in. It was like his whole body was being torn into countless fragments. There was seemingly a ray of light from afar that was getting brighter and brighter. Furthermore, it was closing in on him with extreme speed.
“BOOM!”
At the instant when he met with that ray of light, Lin Li seemed to have heard a loud sound traveling over. After which, it was as if his surroundings had turned upside down and underwent a change. The nagging Andoine had disappeared. The dry and bright basement had disappeared. The dark red teleportation portal had also disappeared.
In their place was a bunch of dark clouds. It was like the weather before a storm. The humidity and warm temperature were choking. The earth under his feet was muddy, and stepping on it felt like stepping on a swamp. Just a little carelessness would cause him to sink in. The surroundings had a monstrous dark brown color, be it the earth, the skies, or the trees.
This place should be a forest, but it was just that it was more ghastly and gloomy than any of the forests that Lin Li had seen before.
“Weird…” After sizing up his surroundings, Lin Li could not help but show a trace of doubt on his face. Logically speaking, he came here through the Teleportation Portal, so the place he was at now should be the exit of the Teleportation Portal.
But look at this area—was there a trace of the Teleportation Portal anywhere? Lin Li tried releasing a Detection Spell, but he could not detect any magical waves. Everything seemed to have died in this area. Even the towering trees did not have any scent of life.
This feeling caused Lin Li to have a foreboding premonition.
“Damn, why did you come to the Dragon Roosting Plateau?” It was at this moment that Connoris’ exasperated cry traveled across Lin Li’s mind.
Lin Li heart tingled. He probed, “What’s up, Great Soul Trader. You are familiar with this place?”
“Duh…”
“That’s great.” After hearing this, Lin Li’s mood was lifted. “Great Soul Trader, why don’t we make a deal?”
“What deal?”
“I’ll be responsible for letting you out and you will be responsible for guiding me. What do you think?”
“I don’t think so!” Connoris’ voice seemed to be full of contempt. “Don’t you forget that you’ve promised that you will release me by today. This is what you ought to do. By what virtue do you use that to make a deal with me? Do you think that the Great Soul Trader is easy to deceive?”
“Is it…” Lin Li rubbed his chin, and, with malicious intentions, asked, “Then have you heard of something called breaking a promise?”
“What do you want…” Connoris was immediately alarmed.
“Nothing, it’s just that my memory recently isn’t too good. If you don’t remind me, I think I might forget about letting you out. Surely you don’t want to see this happen, right?”
“…” Connoris almost died from anger.
“How’s it, do you want to be the guide?”
After being silent for a short while, Connoris seemed to have gritted his teeth, and spat out, “Yes!”
“That’s good, you really are a great trader…” Lin Li satisfyingly laughed. He opened the Ring of Endless Storm and released Connoris. “Ok, Connoris. Now can you tell me where is this place?”
“Let me see…” Connoris dawdled around for a while before suddenly spouting, “Damn, you are about to be in big trouble soon!”
“Is it that serious…?”